By all accounts, Brown had a disappointing senior season. He may have turned it on for the senior bowl, and potentially the scouting combine and his on campus pro day. But beware of guys who suddenly get a whole lot better when the money is on the line.

Don't get me wrong, there have been many good players who haven't had great college players. And Brown is probably a first round talent. I just have a hard time picking a guy at number 8 who was, by all accounts, barely in the first round after the college season.

If we do get Brown, I hope we can trade down and still get him. I'm not sold on him at the #8 spot yet. If he has a very good Combine, then maybe he's worth it at #8. All I know now is that his stock has been rising since the Sr. Bowl, and before that, he was a mid to late 1st round pick. To me he kinda looks like Spencer with a big powerful upper body, but I don't think he has that "nasty" mentality that they said Spencer has. JMHO!

Levi had a mid-season injury that required scoping his knee & doing some reparing, he only missed two games & worked his way back into playing condition getting stronger each week, now he is fully healed and is showing what he can do. He was also limited by a down year overall for a Penn State program that doesn't push the ball down the field by pass but rather the run. his pass protection is under rated because of PSU system & will learn to get set (keep his weight more on the balls of his feet & his butt down) in a more traditional pro system. what he lacks with his footwork he has overcome with strength, long arms & body girth. these raw skills can be improved and will be at the next level.

Is he Ogden ? NO. Is he Pace ? NO. will he catch Tarik Glenn in two seasons as the best OLT in our division...uh huh. The moment we draft him, he will be the best O-lineman this franchise has ever had...that actually made a feild. I can't argue taking Mario over the Brick last season. I can argue taking the OLT over the frachise RB. Rb has a fifty percent bust rate. The running back is a fifty-fifty proposition. The OLT judging from mid ninties to 2002...is an eighty percent lock. The second thing I heard(read) him say after the Senior Bowl was calling out Joe Thomas to come to the combine and compete for the #1 over all OLT. We'll see if JT takes the bait. Anyway reads to me he is a competitor and ready to go to war for someone. I don't know him or his family. But he looks to be a solid citizen and a good face for the franchise. He looks like a Texan. And is going to look damned good in my eyes in that deep steel blue uniform.

Is he Ogden ? NO. Is he Pace ? NO. will he catch Tarik Glenn in two seasons as the pest OLT in our division...uh huh. The moment we draft him, he will be the best O-lineman this franchise has ever had...that actually made a feild. I can't argue taking Mario over the Brick last season. I can argue taking the OLT over the frachise RB. Rb has a fifty percent bust rate. The running back is a fifty-fifty proposition. The OLT judging from mid ninties to 2002...is an eighty percent lock. The second thing I heard(read) him say after the Senior Bowl was calling out Joe Thomas to come to the combine and compete for the #1 over all OLT. We'll see if JT takes the bait. Anyway reads to me he is a competitor and ready to go to war for someone. I don't know him or his family. But he looks to be a solid citizen and a good face for the franchise. He looks like a Texan. And is going to look damned good in my eyes in that deep steel blue uniform.

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good points ttp

ya know what really impressed me about Levi was his presence, of course he's huge, so are a lot of guys, but he comes off as well put together with a quiet confidence, dry wit & intelligence. the big guy is very smart, I've yet to figure out why the offensive lineman are among the smartest football players but they just are. you know exactly what your getting from him- a big, tough, smart tackle that takes pride in his assingments with the skills & size to start LT for the NFL team who drafts him

he catch Tarik Glenn in two seasons as the pest OLT in our division...uh huh. The moment we draft him, he will be the best O-lineman this franchise has ever had...that actually made a feild. I can't argue taking Mario over the Brick last season. I can argue taking the OLT over the frachise RB. Rb has a fifty percent bust rate. The running back is a fifty-fifty proposition. The OLT judging from mid ninties to 2002...is an eighty percent lock.

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Dang 3toedpete, you and Beerlover must be Levi's co-agents ?
But I hope you guys really know what you're talking about, because we certainly need a real OLT for now and for the longer term.
Of course not the first OT taken last year but the second one turned out to
be the best OLineman taken in the Draft. So just because Thomas goes before Levi is no guarantee that the Badger will be better.
But I think there's a bigger bust factor for OLTs than you seem to think.
And if I understand what you said, you favored taking Mario over Dbrick last
year, but you would take a tackle, Thomas or Levi, over this years potential
franchise RB - Adrian Peterson ?

No nunsguy, I'm the guy that's been banging this drum for four years. Some years, there were no legitimate prospect. Other years, we were out of position. Last year, they took a Reggie White/Wiilie Davis prospect. This year there's no excuse. We've waited five years and waisted one good QB prospect. Make an arguement a good RB blue chipper in Dominic Williams. Some say the common theme of DCs demise is his over all lack of ablity. And some say the guy was waisted by lack of draft and free agent suport. I guess it comes down to which way you color your coffee. The sacks speak for themselves. Got the tool and position to heal this five year old wound...my book says you fix that first...this year, then worry about everything else. DC's probably allready a train wecked mess that no one can fix. But...the line needs to be addressed before we bring in the next Judas goat. JMHO. And been that way for four years.

Recently his stock has seemed to have jumped due to a solid performance at the Senior Bowl (I guess). Now alot of mock drafts have us taking him at #8.

Is this guy a LEGIT BONAFIDE STUD left tackle that will anchor our line for the next 10 years? Or is he just the "next best" after Joe Thomas?

I would hate to waste that high of a pick unless the guy would finally SOLVE our LT problem since there will be so much talent (especially defensively) sitting there at #8...

And to me all of this is awash if Adrian Peterson is available, but it looks more and more like Cleveland will take him and then wait to draft Troy Smith as their QB in round 2 or 3...

Thoughts?

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At this point I'd call him more of a "next best after Joe Thomas". He is definitely a solid player but I am far from convinced that he is a legitimate career LT in the NFL, and I think the coaching staff is really sold on Charles Spencer being our LT, so unless Spencer shows before the draft that he is clearly not going to be healthy then I don't see them using the #8 on Brown. If Joe Thomas somehow fell to us at #8 then I think they would likely go ahead and take him then shuffle Spencer to RT and Winston to RG, but I don't think Brown is that good of a prospect.

At this point I'd call him more of a "next best after Joe Thomas". He is definitely a solid player but I am far from convinced that he is a legitimate career LT in the NFL, and I think the coaching staff is really sold on Charles Spencer being our LT, so unless Spencer shows before the draft that he is clearly not going to be healthy then I don't see them using the #8 on Brown. If Joe Thomas somehow fell to us at #8 then I think they would likely go ahead and take him then shuffle Spencer to RT and Winston to RG, but I don't think Brown is that good of a prospect.

before a couple of the best posters shred each other to bits, lets just agree to keep collecting info and revist this topic later, like after the combine

I want to see their short shuttle times, that would give some indication of their foot speed & ability to move in space. also the lifting, how strong is Brown? I know Thomas is a good shotput thrower in track so I know he is strong, also the official measureables like height, weight & reach. wish we could be in on the interviewing sessions, that one I'm confident in Levi.

before a couple of the best posters shred each other to bits, lets just agree to keep collecting info and revist this topic later, like after the combine

I want to see their short shuttle times, that would give some indication of their foot speed & ability to move in space. also the lifting, how strong is Brown? I know Thomas is a good shotput thrower in track so I know he is strong, also the official measureables like height, weight & reach. wish we could be in on the interviewing sessions, that one I'm confident in Levi.

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It will be interesting to see their times, although I have my doubts that Joe Thomas will work out at the Combine, especially after skipping the Senior Bowl. I wouldn't at all be surprised to see him wait until his pro day to work out. I expect both will put up pretty solid workouts, but in the end the deciding factor in most picks will be off of game tape, which is what I'm trying to go off of for now.

It will be interesting to see their times, although I have my doubts that Joe Thomas will work out at the Combine, especially after skipping the Senior Bowl. I wouldn't at all be surprised to see him wait until his pro day to work out. I expect both will put up pretty solid workouts, but in the end the deciding factor in most picks will be off of game tape, which is what I'm trying to go off of for now.

It will be interesting to see their times, although I have my doubts that Joe Thomas will work out at the Combine, especially after skipping the Senior Bowl. I wouldn't at all be surprised to see him wait until his pro day to work out. I expect both will put up pretty solid workouts, but in the end the deciding factor in most picks will be off of game tape, which is what I'm trying to go off of for now.

We'll see.

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I wouldnt be surprised in the least if Quinn or Thomas skips the combine.

Their stock is as high as it is gonna get & Quinn can keep playing the mysterious knee injury that kept him out of the Senior Bowl.

Why risk hurting your stock with a bad performance if a good performance isnt going to help it?

I wouldnt be surprised in the least if Quinn or Thomas skips the combine.

Their stock is as high as it is gonna get & Quinn can keep playing the mysterious knee injury that kept him out of the Senior Bowl.

Why risk hurting your stock with a bad performance if a good performance isnt going to help it?

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That's likely the thought that most of these guys have when skipping the Combine. My thought (and my advice if any of them for some reason asked my opinion) would be work out at the Combine so if you do have an off day you can work hard and have a good pro day (most tracks at pro days are faster than at the Combine anyways, so people can run faster at their pro day than in Indy) as a backup plan. If you do really well at the Combine, then you can skip your pro day workout other than whatever drills you might not have done real well with (like Mario and others did last year). If you skip the Combine workout and then have a bad day at your pro day then that's the last impression that teams will have of you (like LenDale White last year). I'd prefer to have two chances at putting up a good workout, but for some guys like Joe Thomas that are a lock to be the top guy chosen at their position I can see why they might not want to work out since they have nothing to gain and can only hurt themselves. Brady Quinn may be feeling some heat from JaMarcus Russell and decide to workout, at this point who knows on him.